When talking to educators who are new to comics, one of the most common questions after title recommendations is “Where do I begin?” Luckily, there are many useful resources. Here are some of my favorites.
Web Resources:
CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund)
Drawing Words and Telling Pictures, “What is a Graphic Novel,” by Jessica Abel
Library of Congress, “Cartoon Analysis Guide,”
Reading With Picture, “Developing Critical Thinking Through Comics” by Jennifer Haines
Scholastic.com “Using Graphic Novels With Children and Teens” by Philip Crawford and Stephen Weiner
School Library Journal “Graphic Novels Portray Bicultural America” By Brigid Alverson
Spin, Weave, & Cut by Nick Sousanis
Many publishers also provide teaching guides for their titles on their websites.
Books:
Connecting Comics to Curriculum by Karen W. Gavigan and Mindy Tomasevich
Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang
Principles And Practices From The Legendary Cartoonist Series by Will Eisner
Reading Picture Books With Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking About What They See by Megan Dowd Lambert
Understanding Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud
Unflattering by Nick Sousanis
Using Content-Area For Learning by Meryl Jaffe and Katie Monnin
Visual Thinking Strategies: Using Art to Deepen Learning Across School Disciplines by Philip Yenawine
Worth a Thousand Words: Using Graphic Novels to Teach Visual And Verbal Literacy by Meryl Jaffe and Talia Hurwich